Then began a running fight which lasted for an hour and forty minutes. At first the _Emden_'s fire was very rapid and accurate, but as the _Sydney's_ shells began to burst on her decks it slackened quickly. The foremost funnel of the _Emden_ was shot away, then the foremast, then the second funnel, and lastly the third funnel. She was now burning furiously, and her deck was strewn with dead and dying. A few minutes later and she was seen to be making for the beach on North Keeling Island, where she grounded at 11.20 a.m. Captain Glossop gave her two more broadsides, and then left her to pursue a merchant ship which had come up during the action. The merchantman was overhauled, and found to be a captured British collier in a sinking condition. As she was past repair she was sent to the bottom, and the _Sydney_, with the crew of the collier on board, returned to the _Emden_, now a dismal wreck amidst the surf foaming on the reef. Her colours, however, were still flying at the masthead. When called upon to haul them down her captain replied that he would never surrender. Very reluctantly, Captain Glossop again fired at the _Emden_. Five minutes later white flags fluttered aloft, and her ensign was hauled down. [Illustration: German Landing Party on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. _Photo, The Sphere_ The yacht shown in the photograph is the _Ayesha_, in which the landing party escaped from the island.] About six o'clock that night the _Emden's_ landing-party seized and provisioned Mr. Ross's 70-ton schooner, the _Ayesha_, and made off. For months they were unheard of, though all sorts of rumours were current as to their fate. On March 1, 1915, it was reported that they had reached Damascus, and were on their way to Constantinople. Captain von Müller was captured unwounded, and amongst his officers was Franz Josef of Hohenzollern, a nephew of the Kaiser. As a tribute to the gallantry and humanity which Captain von Müller had exhibited, he was permitted to retain his sword. While the German soldiers were making their name a byword of loathing in Belgium, Captain von Müller had been behaving as a sailor and a gentleman; consequently he was regarded in Britain as something of a hero. He had fought staunchly, and although he had perhaps violated the laws of war on several occasions, his sins were forgiven him because he had been merciful to the defenceless and the captive. The _Emden_ lost some 250 killed and wounded, while the _Sydney_ had four killed and twelve wounded. Only about ten hits seem to have been made on the British vessel, and the damage done was surprisingly small. Australians were overjoyed to hear that a ship of their own navy had rid the seas of the famous raider. Their satisfaction was all the greater when they remembered that the victorious crew consisted largely of young and untried sailors.